Chapter 21

Layton sped his way to my house and to school after that. We made it to both places in record time.  

I was at school earlier than any other day. It didn’t exactly make me happy to be there at the crack of dawn, but it was better than lazing around at Layton’s house.

I sat in the last picnic table outside. The school was almost deserted. There were only a few students scattered around in the front area.

I heard movement coming from the woods behind me, but paid no attention to it. Since I knew that Wolves were running around in the woods, it didn’t exactly surprise me to hear strange noises.

“So, you must be the one,” I heard someone say.

I looked up to see a tall, muscular guy approaching my table. I tried to recognize him from somewhere, from Layton or Zev’s pack maybe.

I came up with a blank.  

“What ‘one’ are you talking about?” I asked in a bored tone.

There was something about people who acted mysterious and gave little information that peeved me out. The only type of cryptic I could handle was the one coming from Layton. Layton had enough of that to last me a lifetime.

“You are the future Luna of Blue Bloods Pack,” he said.

I could tell that he was young. He looked a few years older than me, but if he told me he was still in school, I’d believe him.

It was just something in his hazel eyes— they looked like if he had seen more than someone his age should have.

His dark brown hair was sticking up all over the place, like if he’d repeatedly been running his hands through it.

He somehow reminded me of Zev, but in a different, more rugged way

“Sure,” I sarcastically replied, even though his words were true.

“You don’t have to lie.  I already know. You reek of Layton and I saw when he dropped you off. Let’s just say that’s not Layton’s usual behavior with anyone, unless you were his mate,” he said, sounding proud of himself for figuring it out.

“Do you want a cookie for that?” I asked him, mockingly.

He smiled at me when I asked that, but nodded his head either way.

“Do you have one?” He asked.

I hadn’t expected him to actually ask for it. When he did, I couldn’t help but glare at him.  

“You’re a Wolf,” I stated.

“Bingo.”

“It’s not a secret that Layton and I are mates. I don’t know why you look so smug.”

“I’m Liam,” the guy said, outstretching his hand.

He’d been trying to divert the subject, but his name rang huge alert bells in my head.

“Liam as in Zev’s cousin?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

I hated Zev’s cousin, even though I had never met him. He was the reason Layton and Zev’s pack hated each other. He killed people just to prove how strong he was after he finally shifted.

“You’ve heard of me?” Liam asked, smirking.

“Yeah, I heard you attacked two packs and then ran like the coward you are,” I snapped at him.

“I’m not a coward.”

“You sure acted like it when you ran away after you killed people.”

“Why would I stay to clean up another pack’s mess?”

“You made the mess!”

“Watch what you say and how you say it, little girl. I’m not merciful with people who disrespect me,” he growled at me threateningly.

It was nothing like the way Layton usually spoke though. I knew with Liam, I would really have to be careful.

“Alright,” I snapped, before turning away from him and grabbing my bag.

I took out a book and started reading where I’d left off the last time I picked up the book. Ever since we moved, I had been reading a lot less than when I was in the city.

It was weird because I had a lot more to do in the city. I blamed it on Layton and Zev, who were always up to something and kept me distracted.

“Layton got himself the perfect mate. You don’t argue or complain. He has you tamed very well.”

Liam had an evil glint in his eyes and I knew he was taunting me.

I wasn’t one to stay quiet. When I looked up from my book, I noticed his wide grin. He knew his words had gotten to me.

“What do you get out of all of this?”

“What?”

“I just don’t see how you benefit. All you have is an unjust grudge against people who don’t really care about you,” I told Liam, before turning back to my book.

I kept reading the same sentence about ten times because I was too distracted.

“Who are you to say anything?” Liam asked in a demanding tone. “You don’t know how things work around here. Lucky for me, you’re a human.”

“How is that even relevant?” I asked Liam, not liking the way he was looking at me.

“I might have something planned for Blue Bloods and New Elite. I needed the perfect bait and I just found it. My sources tell me that you’re not only Layton’s mate, but you get cozy with Zeverus as well,” Liam stated.

I could feel that something bad was about to happen. Even though Liam’s eyes were focused on me, I got up from the bench and shoved my book in my bag.

Liam blocked my path when I took a step towards school. He’d been in front of me in a flash.

“I don’t think so,” he whispered in my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine when I felt his hands digging into my arm.

It was barely seven in the morning. Even though there were a few more students than when I’d arrived, it was still fairly empty.

“I’m taking you even if I have to force you,” Liam threatened in a calm voice.

He was a foot taller than me and his strong build was enough to make me shrink back. Liam smirked at me when he noticed me checking him out.

I blushed even though it wasn’t at all what he was thinking.

“What use will I be to you? I’ll just be dead weight on your load,” I told Liam, trying to play it cool.

“Trying to convince me?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

“I’m just telling the truth,” I replied, shrugging.

Liam crashed me against his chest and wrapped his arm around my waist possessively. It was mainly so that I wouldn’t run away. I knew it because his claws were digging into my waist, and they’d ripped through my shirt.

He didn’t really need a weapon to keep me in place.

“Do you have any idea what an Alpha would do for his mate?” Liam asked, giving me a half smile.

“No,” I replied, and I was genuinely interested in what Liam was about to say.

“I could probably convince Layton to hand me over Blue Bloods, and he’d do it without a second thought just to get you back,” Liam said, chuckling and shaking his head.

“I doubt that,” I distractedly commented.

I was more focused on what Liam had just said, than the taunts he kept throwing. I didn’t think the bond between Layton and I could be that strong.

“You underestimate his feelings for you. Don’t worry, it’s typical in humans. You’d be surprised what he’d be willing to do for you,” Liam said, suddenly sounding bitter.

For some reason it made me want to ask about his mate— if he had one. I only stopped myself because he was starting to look more ticked off than playful. That didn’t seem like a good thing.

“What exactly do you want from Layton and Zev? They’re not even Alpha’s yet.”

“What do I want from them? Let me think…” he said, pretending to be thinking over his words.

I rolled my eyes because it seemed like he was just teasing me.

“I guess Layton and Zeverus are just cleaning the mess that their pack made years ago. Isn’t that what you wanted? You want people to start taking responsibility for their actions. Now Layton and Zeverus can do just that,” Liam said.

“What did they do? They were barely thirteen when you attacked!”

“Blue Bloods and New Elite owe me something.”

“Zev said that you were the one who ran away with a grudge against everyone. How is that their fault?”

“It’s easy for you to say that when you weren’t a human in a pack of Wolves— a human who didn’t shift when he was supposed to!” Liam growled.

I was shocked by his outburst. I hadn’t expected him to snap at me, but most importantly, his words had left me stunned.

“They didn’t want you because you didn’t shift,” I stated more than asked.

Liam must’ve heard the pity in my voice. I was looking at him sadly. He looked so bitter and I couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped, sounding annoyed.

“I know that you-” I tried to tell him, but he interrupted me before I could finish.

“No, you don’t. You’re just a human. Don’t sympathize with me, I don’t need it.”

With those words, Liam began harshly dragging me into the woods. Every time I tried to stop him from taking me, he would dig his claws into my waist and shove me forward with a force.

“If you scream, I’ll rip you to pieces,” he threatened.

We walked deeper into the woods for almost half an hour. Liam was silent the entire way and I was not interested in making conversation either.

I wanted to gather my thoughts. Yes, Liam was practically holding me hostage, but he wasn’t exactly what I expected him to be.

If I wanted to escape from him, I could have left. Any of my gifts would’ve been helpful in keeping him away and giving me enough time to run or fly away. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave him. He looked so lost, just wanting to get revenge on the packs that had done him wrong.

In his mind, it probably made sense.

“I know what Layton sees in you. You are one hot piece of ass,” Liam commented with a whistle.

“Seriously?” I asked him, shaking my head.

“It’s true,” he said, lowering the hand he had on my waist. He softly patted my behind, and gave me teasing grin.

Since his hold on me had loosened, I pulled away from him and slapped his cheek, hard.

The sound of my hand connecting with his skin resounded in the area, and I noticed his cheek turned a light pink color.

Liam growled at me, but he didn’t try to get me back in his arms and he didn’t attack me either.

“I probably deserved that,” he said, through gritted teeth.

“Layton and Zeverus aren’t going to make it easy for you. You know that and you’re still here. Unless you have an army, I don’t see how you can possibly match up to them.

Liam didn’t seem to appreciate my truthful comments. He shoved me away. I didn’t think he meant to shove me as hard as he did. I had to give it to him, he was freaken strong.

I landed on the ground, ungracefully and feeling slightly disoriented.

“You shouldn’t push me,” he said, and for a moment, it seemed like he was tempted to help me get up.

I stayed sitting down just because we’d been walking for too long and the night before hadn’t exactly been my best.

“You don’t know who has the best odds. You might be surprised with just how far my reach goes in the Werewolf hierarchy,” Liam said.

His words didn’t impress me.

“I know you have Alpha blood in you. That makes you stronger than most,” I told him.

I hardly knew what I was talking about, but I knew that Liam was considered a strong Wolf.

“You and Layton haven’t mated yet,” Liam commented.

That was a subject that got me uncomfortable. I shifted on the ground, and grabbed my book bag to get my phone out. I’d been hearing it buzzing since Liam had taken me from the picnic table.

I’d been about to check it when Liam leaned down in front of me.

He cupped my chin and made me look up at him. His hold on me was rough. When I tried to slap his hand away, he grabbed my wrist in a strong grip and dug his claws into my skin.

“Let go,” I told him.

I was a step away from attacking him. I was trying to hold myself back, but Liam was just too violent for my taste. His behavior was ticking me off.

“No,” he replied, smirking down at me.

“I came here unwillingly. I didn’t complain. I listened to your sappy story of rejection,” I said, mainly to piss him off. “But I will not let you abuse me,” I told him, and my gaze drifted where his claws were drawing blood from my wrists.

“You’re not as weak as you appear. You just keep forgetting that you’re still a human. I could snap your neck in two if you start getting too annoying,” Liam told me.

“Want to know a secret,” I said.

I wasn’t going to tell him anything. At the moment, it was what I thought. I was just going to scare him off.

“Amuse me,” he told me, his grin growing wider.

It was obvious he found me entertaining.

I pulled him down so that he was kneeling completely on the ground, right in front of me, and moved closer to his neck.

“I’m not human,” I whispered.

“Really?” Liam asked, and I could hear the humor in his voice.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t make threats that I couldn’t follow through.”

Like I expected, he didn’t believe me. He chuckled and clapped his hands.

“You are a very interesting little girl.”

I scrunched my nose when he called me little girl again. Liam was for sure older than me, but his tone was condescending. I knew he called me ‘little girl’ to show he was stronger.

“Think what you want, but it won’t make it any less true.”

“Sure,” he said.

“I’ll see you later. I have school,” I said, before getting up from the ground.

I’d just gotten about five steps into my walk, when Liam grabbed my hand and jerked me back. I crashed against his chest, and found him glaring at me.  

“Never walk away from me, human,” Liam spat.

His hazel eyes had turned black. He looked angry, and I could feel his Wolf rising up.

I knew I had to do something before it was too late. And I did.

I did what my dad warned me to never do in front of anyone. With as much force as I could muster, I held my hands in between us and pushed them forward roughly. Liam went flying in the air dramatically, and crashed against a tree.

The force of the impact had been so hard, the entire tree shook and I heard a crack within it. 

Liam wasn’t moving. His limp body was lying down next to the ground, and there was blood rolling down the side of his face.

I would’ve laughed if the situation hadn’t been so twisted.

Several minutes passed by and still Liam wouldn’t wake up. I hadn’t thought I’d hit him too hard.

When more time passed and I hadn’t heard from him, I began poking his arm and his chest. I tried slapping his cheek several times, but nothing worked.

I wanted to push him away, scare him even, but I hadn’t intended to really hurt him.  

I let out the deepest sigh of relief when Liam started stirring. It took him another minute to actually open his eyes, but I could tell he was coming to his senses.

I expected him to be angry and try to lash out at me. When he finally stood up, he just stared at me.

He stared openly and completely in shock.

“How did you do that?” Liam asked, sounding amazed.

He cringed when he tried moving around more and the blood was still trailing down his cheek.  

“Did what?” I asked, trying to pretend nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“You pushed me, but you didn’t even touch me,” Liam stated as he got up.

He dusted himself off and I noticed that the back of his head was covered in blood. It explained why he had blacked out. His head had received the impact of the crash.

“You’re bleeding. Maybe you should check that out,” I told him, pointing at his head.

“I’m fine, it already healed anyway,” Liam said, but he still ran his hand lightly over the back of his head.

When he pulled his hand away, it was drenched in blood.

“It looks pretty bad,” I commented, trying not to feel sick.

“The blood’s just there. Tell me how you did that,” Liam pressed.

He was talking to me differently than he had before. Liam sounded impressed, awed more than anything.  

“I can’t tell you. But I have to leave. I’ll probably be late to my first period because you dragged me out here,” I told him, motioning around us.

I had been slightly scared of him before. I knew I could handle him, but I’d come to realize that most Wolves carried a temperament.

Liam really wasn’t such a bad person. He was even funny if he wanted to be. He was just angry.

“So you really aren’t human, huh?” Liam asked, taking a seat on the ground.

I didn’t know if he’d done it just because, or if he hadn’t been able to remain standing. He still looked a bit shaken up. I felt kind of bad for him because it had been my fault for knocking him around.

I knew it was wrong to be there with him, in the middle of the woods. He had kidnapped me. Given, I’d let him take me, but he had still done it.

“You can’t tell anyone what you saw,” I warned him.

I knew the odds of Liam keeping what he’d seen to himself were very slim. Asking him not to tell was the best I could do.

“You mean Layton and Zeverus don’t know?”

Liam looked surprised when I shook my head in reply.

“I haven’t told them. Only my mom and dad know about me.”

“Why did you let me drag you out here if you could take me on?” Liam asked me, curiously.

“I wanted to know your plans, but I don’t think you have a good plan,” I replied, shrugging.

“I do,” Liam countered.

“No, you don’t. Good thing too, because I am not interested in being dragged into a fight between Wolves. Layton is moody as it is, without adding you into the equation,” I groaned out.

“Layton’s lucky, you know? Smart, beautiful, feisty, and whatever the hell that was,” Liam said, pointing around the clearing we were at.

“Yeah…” I mumbled, not knowing how to respond to his compliment.

“What was it?” He asked.

He sounded more sober, and I could tell he expected an answer from me.

“It’s telekinesis. I can move things with my mind,” I replied.

“Just like that?” Liam asked, and he was staring down at my hands when he spoke.

“I don’t need my hands or to point. I can do it just with my thoughts. And yes, just like that,” I replied.

“Wow,” Liam said, taking a deep breath and shaking his head.

“That is fucking amazing,” he told me.

“Thanks,” I awkwardly said.

“What are you? Not a Wolf and not a human. I’ve seen my fair share of odd things out there, but I’ve never seen anything like you. It really is a Wolf and human world,” Liam told me.

“I know,” I agreed.

“So what are you?”

“Not that it concerns you, but I’m a Legen.”

Liam continued to stare at me for a long while. It got to the point where I started feeling self-conscious about it and had to ask him to look away.

He ignored me.

“I’m not backing off from my plans just because we had this moment,” Liam told me.

“I assumed that much,” I admitted, feeling disappointed that Liam was dead set in his plans.

“I came to get you alone, because I thought it would be an easy target. My feelings on what happened with the packs and I haven’t changed.”

Liam looked serious but I could see the inner battle he was having with himself.

“Why are Werewolves so destructive?” I asked, not really expecting a reply from Liam.

“It’s just easier to lose control,” Liam answered with a faraway look.

“Do you have a mate?” I finally asked him.

I’d been curious about it before. He seemed relaxed enough and he wasn’t trying to hurt me. I figured there wasn’t a better opportunity to ask.

Everything about Werewolves had interested me ever since Layton and Zev had shifted in front of me for the first time.

“I had a mate. She’s gone now,” Liam answered.

His expression hardened and his eyes turned cold in just seconds.

“She left you?” I asked, not believing how that was possible.

Even though I got angry with Layton, I knew I would never really be able to leave him.

“She was killed after we attacked Layton’s pack. It’s not a nice story,” Liam told me.

His voice was a growl, and he seemed ready to attack anyone who was willing to go up against him. I wanted to reach out to him, ask him so many questions.

When I was about to open my mouth, Liam interrupted me.

“Don’t even ask me what I did after she was killed. I’m not proud of it,” he said, getting a faraway look in his eyes.

“Can I ask you something?” Minutes had gone by without either of us saying anything.

“What?”

“Zev said you took the mate of one of the guys you killed when you attacked his pack. What did you do to her?” I asked.

“We let her go once we were clear from the pack. She didn’t want to go back because her mate was dead.”

I heard the phone in my bag vibrate once again. It had been going off for a while now, but I was interested in what Liam was telling me. I searched in my bag and turned it off and turned back to Liam.

“How could you attack your own pack? And then you follow to Layton’s. Don’t you think that killing people was too harsh over some looks they gave you or comments they made?” I asked, still not believing that the guy in front of me, looking like a lost puppy, was a cold-blooded killer.

“When I got to Marcus’ pack, I wasn’t planning on hurting anyone. I was already considered a Rogue then. Wolves can detect whether you belong to a pack or if you’re running solo. When they saw us, the pack attacked. We only defended ourselves, but some of them died in the process,” Liam explained.

If what he was saying was true, it made sense.

“Why did you go attack John’s pack right after? And why did you take the girl?”

“We took the girl as a hostage. They would’ve attacked us otherwise. Besides, her mate was already dead.”

“That’s no excuse,” I scolded.

“It seemed like a pretty damn good one at the time,” Liam shrugged.

“Right…” I told him.

“Going into John’s territory was a coincidence. I was just passing through because Marcus and the rest of New Elite were still chasing us down.”

“You killed people there too,” I reminded him.

“I did. I took out two Wolves. I used to hate them. I don’t care that you’re looking at me with those big green eyes of yours. I’m not sorry I got rid of those two dogs. The Beta of Blue Bloods was a major dick and I hated the other bastard.”

I shook my head at him, but it wasn’t like there was anything I could do now.

“Everyone is so miscommunicated.”

“Why do you say that?” Liam asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Layton and Zev hate each other now. Layton and his pack think it was New Elite who attacked them. When your uncle Marcus tried to explain that they had nothing to do with it, John didn’t believe them. They’ve hated each other ever since.”

“John thinks it was Marcus?” Liam asked, grinning.

He actually sounded surprised to hear about it, but it amused him.

I leaned closer to him and slapped his head. Liam growled and narrowed his eyes at me.

“Don’t look so smug. You’re stupid attack broke Layton and Zev’s friendship. That isn’t fair,” I scolded him.

“Good for them. They deserved it,” Liam said, looking more than happy.          

Six guys suddenly started making their way towards us. They were still a few feet away, but they were approaching us slowly.

Liam got up from the ground, and turned to face them. I took the chance to get up as well. I suddenly felt intimidated by the presence of more Wolves.

I knew they were Rogues. Somehow, they managed to look more feral and rugged, even when they were in their human form.

“I’m leaving to school,” I told Liam.

I was well aware that despite the moment Liam and I had just shared, he couldn’t be trusted. He had warned me that he was still going to attack Layton and Zev.

“Can you take on more Wolves?” Liam asked me with a playful expression.

I looked at him for a long while, wondering if he was being serious.

“Wouldn’t it help to know? Just to see how far you can go,” Liam added, shrugging.

“You’re not going to have them attack me, are you?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t get to that point.

“I’m not, you have my word. I’m just curious.”

 “You were the first one I practiced with and I think I did well,” I finally replied, with a small smile on my lips.

The guys behind him seemed somewhat confused, but they didn’t question Liam about it.  

“This is my friend…” Liam said, allowing me to finish because I hadn’t shared my name with him yet.

“Cassidy,” I finished for him.

“No one touches her,” Liam ordered.

The guys looked at me strangely, but nodded their heads at Liam.

“I hope we can fix this before you end up hurt or hurting someone else,” I told Liam, walking closer to him.

“I doubt it, but we’ll see,” Liam said offering me a genuine smile.

I nodded at him, and Liam took a few steps to close the distance between us. He was about to embrace me in a hug, when we both heard growling coming from somewhere near.

Liam’s expression darkened and his hands fisted on his sides.

When I turned around, I noticed Layton making his way towards us. He was a good distance away, but he was getting closer. He wasn’t alone either.

Jared, Tyler, Nick, Jackson, and about twenty more guys followed closely behind him. Some of them had already shifted into Wolves, and the followed along. Everyone was looking at Liam and the other Rogues threateningly.

One look from Layton told me that I was in trouble.

Layton looked ready to murder someone.